(SULLIVAN) - The city of Sullivan is in a financial crisis and officials decide firefighters may need to go.

The city was in debt $255,000. At an executive meeting Tuesday, the city's mayor asked for potential ways to make cuts from the city.

After much discussion and plenty of debate, Mayor Clint Lamb decided to do away with insurance benefits for the families of city employees.

Also, Lamb announced that he would have to eliminate 3 to 4 firefighter positions.

He said he eventually wanted to move toward having a volunteer fire department.

Lamb said it was an extremely tough decision to make. Those changes will go into effect immediately.

"Once we get our financial house in order, I promise they're going to be prosperous times in the city of sullivan," Lamb said about the decision.

Meanwhile firefighters were shocked, "Well there all, you know there all down about it. You know some of them's going to lose their job and you know, maybe all of them. They really don't know what to think yet," Sullivan Fire Chief Rob Robertson said.